Prolific retro gaming ROM websites LoveROMS and LoveRETRO have both be closed down in the wake of a mass copyright infringement lawsuit against the owner of the sites.
Both sites are believed to be operated by Jacob Mathias and his Arizona company Mathias Designs LLC and provide access to a huge library of ROM files from many different classic gaming consoles including the Super Nintendo, Nintendo Entertainment System, Sega Master System and more.
“The LoveROMs and LoveRETRO websites are among the most open and notorious online hubs for pirated video games,” Nintendo writes in the complaint.
“Through the LoveROMs and LoveRETRO websites, Defendants reproduce, distribute, publicly perform and display a staggering number of unauthorized copies of Nintendo’s video games, all without Nintendo’s permission.”
gamers have used the illicit practice of playing downloaded ROM files on emulation software for years and its no surprise that with Nintendo’s retro mini console range being available and the rumoured N64 on the horizon that they would want to remove ROM downloads from the internet where possible.